What’s the Most Eye-Catching Image Color?
While you might not be thinking about it all that often, we’re all fighting for attention on a daily basis. Think about the times you’re scrolling through YouTube’s suggested videos. There are some that grab your attention while for others you simply scroll by without reading the title.
A lot of this has to do with color. There are certain colors that capture your attention immediately and draw you in. It’s a massive part of marketing, which is why you see certain colors used more than others. Here are five image colors that are the most eye-catching, both scientifically and emotionally.
5. Green
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when the color green is mentioned? More often than not, the answer is either money or the word “go.” Because of this, there’s an exciting feeling when seeing the color green, making it almost universally positive. When you add in the fact that green grabs attention while representing both Earth and nature, there aren’t many people that actively dislike green.
There are certain brands that come to mind instantly when thinking about the color green. Starbucks has built an entire brand using the color, while others include John Deere, Holiday Inn, and Heineken.
4. Blue
Blue is one of those colors that has a calming effect because the first thing that comes to mind is usually water. There’s a sense of stability and serenity that comes with blue, as well, which is why it’s used as a paint color for walls, especially in lighter shades.
Blue is seen as a more ‘masculine’ color, as we think of baby boys being dressed in blue. Darker shades are also incredibly popular, especially amongst sports teams. Blue is a favorite for a lot of corporations. We’ve seen companies become synonymous with the color, including Ford, Facebook, and PayPal just to name a few.
3. Yellow
While yellow itself is one of the most visible colors on the spectrum, a lot of it depends on the shade of yellow. Some lighter shades can be incredibly difficult to see, which is why these shades make for bad backgrounds. Medium shades of yellow, however, can be seen from long distances.
Yellow tends to have a cheery reputation, though some will associate it with caution due to traffic lights. Overall, yellow represents happiness, joy, and warmth. Yellow is used by a lot of businesses to attract attention, helping to propel brands with instantly recognizable logos like Snapchat or McDonald’s.
2. Orange
When you walk into a grocery store, the produce section is usually right at the very entrance. Among the first fruits that you’ll see are oranges, drawing your attention immediately. While some other colors can warn of dangers or attract your attention in a negative way, orange is used to express happiness. After all, we think of sunshine when the color orange comes to mind.
Orange has a lot of different shades, but the brighter ones tend to be considered “energetic.” Due to its positive vibes and attention-grabbing traits, there are a lot of companies that use orange in their branding. Nickelodeon is among the most notable, and their use of orange is a nostalgia-inducing one, especially with their retro VHS tapes.
1. Red
Scientifically speaking, red is the most visible color on the spectrum according to NASA, measuring in with a wavelength of 700 nanometers, making it the longest. Even in terms of cars, red ones usually have higher insurance premiums due to the fact that police officers are more likely to pull over red cars.
We use red in just about everything that demands attention. Whether it be corporate branding, bullfighting, or stopping our cars, red can be spotted from almost a mile away. It’s why out of the largest fast food chains in the world, almost all of them have at least a little bit of red in their branding, while places like McDonald’s or KFC use it primarily.